Gates Foundation eyeing Novartis exec - paper

ZURICH, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The Gates Foundation, belonging to Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, could poach Novartis's head of global development, a Swiss newspaper reported on Sunday, citing two sources.

NZZ am Sonntag said talks had already been held, according to one source.

Earlier this year, Tachi Yamada, who held the position of Executive Director Global Health at the Gates Foundation, retired.

Mundel trained as a medical doctor in South Africa and completed training in neurology at the University of Chicago Hospitals. He also studied maths, logic and philosophy at Oxford University.

Novartis was not available to comment. (Reporting by Katie Reid; Editing by Dan Lalor)